


c'est la vie

by mej14



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: I have no friggin clue what I'm doing, Multi, there is some injury and vomiting in later chapters be warned?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-30 21:09:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6440884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mej14/pseuds/mej14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An akuma targets Adrien out of jealousy</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> my children are idiots and I can't write pls leave comments questions concerns criticisms anything thank you!!!!

“This isn’t fair!” The model shouted. “Just because he’s an Agreste means that he gets the spotlight? I’ve worked for years at this”, the man continued, drawing attention from everyone at the photo shoot, “I deserve to be on the cover this time! This is nepotism! This isn’t right!”

“Look buddy, has anyone ever told you that life isn’t fair?” The photographer was getting very annoyed. This was simply unprofessional, and he didn’t have time for it. There was a schedule to stick to, and nobody wanted to upset Gabriel Agreste. He shot a desperate look at his boss’s assistant, Nathalie. She simply shrugged and shook her head. 

Adrien had been modeling since he was little. This wasn’t the first time he saw someone have a breakdown on set, but he still felt bad. The guy was right. It wasn’t exactly fair; Adrien was all too aware of the privileges his last name gave him. The photographer, on the other hand, was right too. Nothing about this industry was fair. It was cold and ruthless and getting emotional doesn’t help anyone. Nathalie must have been reading his mind.

“It’s not your fault Adrien. He isn’t acting like an adult like he should be.” She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. The young boy looked up at her.

“I still wish I could do something about it”, he muttered. Nathalie sighed. Gabriel may be cold and stoic, but his son certainly was not. It didn’t make her job easier. She tilted her head to the side and gave Adrien a rare smile.

“What you can do is prove that you earned this spot and help us get through this as quickly as possible. How does that sound?” Nathalie had never worked with kids before being hired by Mr. Agreste. She was never particularly fond of them, but still tried her best when it came to Adrien. Maybe it would be easier if he was a brat sometimes so she would be able to be unattached, but of course her boss had to have the most perfect angel of a son in all of Paris. She patted his shoulder again and walked over to the model throwing a tantrum to escort him off the set.

Adrien knew he had a job to do. He didn’t particularly like it, but what father wanted was more important. 

“Hey”, a small whisper came from his shirt pocket. Plagg tentatively stuck his head out to speak to his charge. “The sooner you get done making your stupid faces at this camera, the sooner Chat Noir can start his patrol, eh?” Adrien beamed at the thought of dashing across the rooftops of Paris as his masked alter-ego. 

“I’ve got a whole wheel of camembert in the kitchen for you, Plagg”, he replied enthusiastically. His kwami grinned and darted back into his pocket. Adrien rolled his shoulders back and walked out towards the set. He still had a knot in his stomach over the whole situation, but he couldn’t pay attention to that now.

 

Marinette had been walking in the park with Alya when they heard the outburst. They both stopped dead in their tracks to listen to the grown man scream about the front-page shoot he deserved. Marinette balled her hands into fists.

“Adrien is just as talented as any other model in this city”, she said to herself. Alya laughed.

“You gonna go over there and defend your husband, Marinette?” She teased. Marinette blushed. 

“Shut up, Alya! You’re the worst.” They both giggled as the man yelling stormed off, trailed by Gabriel Agreste’s assistant, Nathalie. They sat themselves underneath the closest tree to watch the photo shoot. About thirty minutes of mindless chatter and aweing over Adrien Agreste went by before they heard a scream. Everyone in the park froze and snapped their heads over to the source of the sound. Marinette instinctively grabbed Alya’s wrist, looking for the quickest way out of there.

“I bet you twenty it’s an akuma”, Alya whispered excitedly, pulling out her phone. Marinette whipped her head back to her best friend. She was going to get herself seriously hurt one of these days, she thought to herself. Marinette shuddered thinking about how close she was with the mummy incident.

“We are not staying to find out”, Marinette hissed. She yanked Alya’s arm and made a dash to the other side of the park. She needed to get the budding reporter as far away as possible before she went back and transformed into Ladybug. Another scream. At this point everyone in the park was grabbing their things and running in fifty different directions. Alya whined and tugged at Marinette in protest, but her grip remained firm. They weaved through the panicked crowd towards the gates. Almost out of here, Marinette thought. Got to get Alya out of here. Today, it seemed, was not going to be Lady Luck’s lucky day. 

The model-now-akuma came out of nowhere and stood directly in their path. Marinette huffed and rolled her eyes. Really? Here? Now? This was tiring, to be honest. Alya was totally engrossed in filming the whole thing. Well, I can’t help her anymore as Marinette, the young girl thought to herself. She let go of her best friend and started waving her arms around and shouting.

“HEY UGLY! YEAH! OVER HERE!” Marinette dashed to the other end of the park, hoping to find some cover to transform, or at least lure the man away from Alya. 

“MARINETTE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Alya shouted through the chaos. She dropped her phone and started running. Journalistic integrity be damned; her best friend came first. She wasn’t going to let little Marinette get hurt on her behalf. The akuma was getting whiplash trying to pick a victim between the two of them. He then turned his attention right behind the young reporter and narrowed his eyes. Adrien Agreste.

Marinette ducked behind some props and opened her purse. 

“Tikki, transform me!” Ladybug jumped out onto the scene and looked around. She felt her heart stop when she found the akuma…going straight for Adrien.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there's Ladrien in this one

Adrien didn’t have anywhere to hide and transform when the chaos started. He chose a direction and started running, trying to figure things out along the way. That’s when he heard an all-too familiar voice…taunting? Yes, that was correct. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was taunting an akuma. And Alya was yelling at her to stop. Oh no. Marinette and Alya. This was his fault. He pivoted and started running towards them.

The akuma saw Adrien running towards the young redhead in front of him. A devilish grin crossed his face. It was a bit too late when Adrien realized that this was not one of his best ideas. No time to regret that though. Where was Marinette?

“ALYA, MOVE!” He shouted, grabbing his friend’s arm and pulling her to his side, urging her to run away for once in her life. If the akuma wanted him, then he was going to hurt anyone that got between them. That, Adrien thought with a grimace, is not going to happen. 

“Adrien Agreste, your days of stealing the spotlight are over!” Adrien groaned. Today was not his day. At all. The akuma lifted a finger and pointed directly at him. Adrien’s breath caught in his throat and suddenly he was flying. He felt a strong arm around his torso and processed that he, in fact, had not been attacked. He was gently placed on a nearby rooftop.

“Oh my god Adrien are you okay what happened are you hurt”, Ladybug was breathless. There was a situation to handle down there, she was well aware, but Marinette could have stared at those beautiful green eyes forever. Wait, Marinette isn’t here right now. Be Ladybug. Right. She straightened her back and put her hands on the boy’s shoulders, trying again. “Are you okay?”

Adrien was a bit preoccupied with picking his jaw up from the ground. Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows. Did I…break Adrien? Oh my god, does Adrien Agreste have a crush on Ladybug? Marinette stifled a giggle. 

“I’M FINE THANKS.” Adrien finally blurted out. He gathered his composure and suddenly froze. “MY FRIENDS! Marinette and Alya! They’re still down there!” He started to panic. Ladybug needed to get out of here so he could transform so they could save everyone. 

Adrien thinks of me as a friend? Marinette, focus, she thought to herself. Ladybug swung her yo-yo and looked back over her shoulder. 

“I’m on it! Stay here, pretty boy!” She said as she swung away. Did she just call Adrien ‘pretty boy’? Smooth, Ladybug. Nice one.

“Plagg, Ladybug thinks I’m pretty!” Adrien squealed.

“So does the rest of Paris, numbskull. Aren’t there more important things to be dealing with right now?” Plagg rolled his eyes. This kid was in deep.

“Right. Plagg, transform me!” Chat Noir dashed off the roof and leapt into the park below. Ladybug was distracting the akuma. Almost everyone had made it to safety at that point. Except…

“I’m sorry, miss, but flash photography is prohibited at this show.” Adrien cooed as he slipped an arm under Alya’s legs and leapt away. She screamed, not realizing Chat Noir was Right Behind Her Jesus H Christ On a Raft Oh My God.

“I was getting some good shots there!” The reporter finally said as the superhero let her down, some distance away from the action.

“And I truly appreciate that and the work you do. However, my job is much easier when there are less civilian casualties to worry about.” Chat said with a smirk. He quickly lifted Alya’s hand and kissed her knuckles before bounding away, leaving her standing there with her mouth agape. Adrien always got a distinct pleasure from messing with his friends as Chat Noir. Was it an abuse of power? Maybe. Was it worth it? Totally.

Chat wasn’t around to hear the victim’s monologue. Ladybug gave him a quick summary of what he was doing and why. Chat felt a lump in his throat when she mentioned Adrien Agreste. 

“…so he’s turning people into statues. Sort of like Medusa, ya know?” She finished, staring at her partner. They were crouched behind a huge crate of camera equipment. Adrien snapped back into reality.

“SO what’s the plan LB?” 

“I was hoping you could think of something”, she replied sheepishly.

“Aren’t plans your thing?” They were really in trouble if Ladybug didn’t know what to do.

“Hey, aren’t we a team?!” 

“Right.” Chat Noir poked his head from behind their hiding spot. The akuma had gotten the rest of the people that didn’t make it out of the park, and was starting to head off towards the rest of the city. Chat had a sudden realization.

“You remember that girl, Marinette?” He quickly asked, turning back to Ladybug. “She was here. Have you seen her? Is she okay?”

Ladybug looked surprised, but didn’t have time to question why Chat Noir was suddenly so invested in her civilian self. 

“Uh, yes!” She started. “She is A-OK and safe and sound and let’s go find that akuma before he turns the entire city into stone right?” Marinette had started babbling. She caught herself and flushed. Chat sighed in relief.

“Right”, he said. “Let’s go.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i still can't write but theres some attempts at jokes here

Their target didn’t get far. Ladybug was infinitely grateful that this was one of the slow moving, hovering ones. The duo decided they were going to go for the usual distract-and-lucky-charm routine. Hasn’t failed them before, right? As long as Chat doesn’t get hit, they’d be okay.

It took Chat Noir a record 5 minutes to get hit. 

Ladybug winced. It looked painful. 

“Looks like it’s my turn”, she sighed. “LUCKY CHARM!” Her yo-yo flew into the air. Ladybug looked up in time to catch…a mirror. She grinned. ‘Like Medusa’ turned out to be a very apt description of her foe, it seemed. She shouted at the akuma. Her defense was a small hand mirror; she was going to have to be precise with this one.

The akuma whipped around and glared at Ladybug. He screeched something about miraculouses and revenge, she didn’t quite get all of it. Pointed finger, beam, mirror, miss. Damn. Try again. They played this back-and-forth for what seemed like ages before Ladybug was successful in getting her target. She sighed and waltzed up to the statue. She was thankful that the item holding the akuma stuck out and didn’t end up statue-fied like it’s holder. It was a necklace. Nice, Marinette thought. Ladybug smashed the item and cleansed the akuma before throwing the hand mirror up in the air and fixing the city.

Chat Noir inhaled loudly and deeply. Being a statue was painful. He nearly collapsed to the ground, but was stopped by a pair of strong arms around his torso. Ladybug was holding him for the second time that day, the same concerned look on her face. Maybe today isn’t so bad after all, Adrien thought to himself.

“Chat are you okay?” He was breathing shallow, ragged breaths. She put two fingers by his neck and checked his pulse. It was slowly returning to normal.

“Ladybug, I’ll be anything just to stay in your arms”, he wheezed.

Well. He was definitely fine.

Ladybug narrowed her eyes and dropped her partner onto the pavement.

“Me-ouch!” Being dropped did actually hurt, but Chat was still laughing. 

“Au revoir, mon minou”, Ladybug said with a smile before zipping away.

Chat Noir slowly picked himself up. He was going to say something to the confused model laying on the ground before him, but his miraculous started to beep. That attack must have done a number on Plagg. Adrien was sure that the rest of his plans for the day were now cancelled, but he decided that he should still get home quickly before Nathalie freaked out. 

 

Marinette de-transformed right by the park where she last saw her friend. She looked around. The place was almost deserted, save for a few groggy citizens that were recovering from being turned into stone. Marinette cringed. Even if Ladybug always fixed everything in the end, she still felt bad for the people that get in the crossfire. 

“MARINETTE!” She turned on the spot to see Alya running straight towards her.

“ALYA!” Marinette was exhausted from the fight, but that didn’t stop her from going into a sprint to meet her best friend halfway. Alya picked up the small teen and swung her around in a hug.

“Do not”, Alya started, “ever do that to me again.” Marinette blushed.

“Can’t make any promises”, she replied cheekily. Alya pulled back and looked at her friend. She rolled her eyes and gave her a grin.

“Well you will not believe what happened after you went and disappeared.” She exclaimed. Marinette feigned interest. She prepared to zone out as Alya repeated all the things ‘Ladybug’ did, but instead was pleasantly surprised to hear about a different hero that day.

“I was trying to get a good video of this fight”, Alya explained, dragging her friend in the direction of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, “when Chat Noir so rudely interrupted and quite literally swept me off my feet.”

“Ooohh is Nino going to be jealous?” Marinette asked, nudging Alya. Alya burst into a fit of giggles.

“He was only taking me away from the action, Marinette. Anyways, Chat’s not my type.”

“You have a type?”

“…shut up. You’re the worst, Marinette.” Alya’s cheeks turned red as she opened the door to the bakery. They grabbed a couple of day-old croissants and went upstairs to Marinette’s home, taking two steps at a time.

“Is that your type Alya? If so then yes, I am the worst.” Marinette talked with half a pastry in her mouth. She nearly choked when Alya pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I like people that can actually talk to the person they have a crush on. Nino is just fine for me”, Alya said with a smirk. Marinette swallowed her food and stuck her tongue out at Alya. They flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV, hoping to catch the last of the news on the latest akuma attack. Marinette let her thoughts wander, remembering to thank Chat for saving her best friend from herself. Of course, she couldn’t actually mention she was friends with Alya.

Well, Ladybug couldn’t, at least.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my babies are still lil idiots and i live for fluff ok

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look i started out this story as like a lil ladrien idea and i have a plan to get back around to that but this is becoming like a whole goddamn story which i didn't expect but  
> anyway here is some adrinette and marichat i guess  
> god bless

Neither Ladybug or Marinette saw Chat Noir for the rest of that weekend. Marinette walked into school trailing behind Alya and Nino, head not quite all there. Alya was talking Nino’s ear off about the akuma attack that happened the past weekend when Marinette walked headfirst into Adrien. She stood there, dazed for a moment, wondering why she had involuntarily stopped moving. That’s when she looked up at those beautiful eyes again and all the blood left Marinette’s face.

“Sorry!” She didn’t squeak. It was an improvement. Marinette mentally patted herself on the back for managing to say words to Adrien in a timely and orderly manner. Well, a word.

“It’s okay, really it’s my bad!” Adrien stopped and looked at his friend. She seemed really out of it. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you okay, Marinette?”

Marinette blanched. She met her interaction quota of the day. She felt Tikki hitting her leg through her purse. Right! Ladybug! Me! Same person! Marinette thought to herself. Focus!

“I’m fine, thanks”, she finally muttered. Good job Marinette! “Uh, I, uh, saw you at the park the other day! Are you okay?” She looked up at him with genuine concern. Marinette hadn’t seen him since Ladybug saved him and left him stranded on that rooftop. She should’ve gone back for him. Marinette cringed at the thought of letting down yet another civilian. Adrien paused. The sound of her voice, the way she looked at him, he couldn’t help but remember the beautiful superhero that cared about Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste.

“Uh yeah, I uh-well, I mean”, he stuttered, moving to lean against his locker. He forgot it was open. He fell into his locker, banging his arm on the books inside. Why was he so flustered? This was how Marinette acted around him, not the other way around. Maybe she was stealing his cool? Was only one of them allowed to be a functioning human being at a time? Marinette giggled. Oh no. She’s adorable. “I’m fine, never been better. Thanks to Ladybug, anyways.”

Marinette turned bright red at the mention of Ladybug. Adrien grabbed the first thing in front of him and slammed his locker shut. 

“But yeah! Thanks for asking. Um. I have to go to…”, he looked at the book in his hands. Physics? Did they even have that class today? “I gotta go thanks bye!” Adrien walked briskly away, burying his face in the palm of his hand. What was wrong with him? He couldn’t stop thinking about Ladybug. It was tripping him up. This was bad. 

Marinette probably would’ve stared at the spot Adrien was in forever if Alya hadn’t physically removed her from the locker room.

“Girl, Earth to Marinette. Do you read me?” She asked, snapping her fingers in Marinette’s face.

“I think we have a problem.” Marinette slowly responded, staring out a window. “Adrien Agreste is far cuter than we anticipated. May need back up.”

Alya sighed and grabbed Marinette by the shoulders, directing her towards their classroom.

“You are something else, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Her best friend had it bad.

 

Adrien was still thinking about Ladybug when he transformed into Chat Noir and slipped out his bedroom window that night. Usually akumas presented themselves to the masked heroes, and they usually appeared during the day. Still, it never hurt to be vigilant. That’s what Chat said to Plagg to justify these midnight trips across the city, at least. 

He was leaping across rooftops with ease when he thought he heard someone call his name. Chat Noir froze, perking up his ears.

“Chat Noir”, the voice was faint. “Over here!”

Marinette was standing on her balcony when she saw Chat Noir running across her neighbor’s roof. She didn’t really think when she started calling after him. She could see his head turn and his bright green eyes shine in the darkness. He leapt in the air and flipped onto the chimney behind her. Marinette slowly turned around to lean on her railing as Chat nimbly stepped down next to her.

“Bonjour, Marinette”, he said with a grin. “Is there something wrong?” He tilted his head. Chat Noir has only interacted with Marinette twice, and she never initiated it, Adrien thought to himself. Marinette shook her head and smiled.

“No, I just wanted to thank you for, uh, helping my friend Alya. She told me about how you managed to drag her away from the fight this weekend, and well”, Marinette looked down, folding her arms across her chest, “I just, really appreciate it. She keeps putting herself in stupid situations for that Ladyblog and…I’m sorry, I don’t know where I was going with this…” She looked down at the park beside her home and bit her lip. She really had no idea what she was saying. She just wanted Chat Noir to know that he was important too, she guessed.

Adrien was taken aback. He knew Marinette was sweet and cared about her friends, but it was only now he realized how much. He never remembered anyone flagging down the superhero Chat Noir just to thank him for something like that. It was endearing. He let out a small laugh.

“It’s part of the job, Marinette.” His smile left his face as he looked back on that day. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was taunting the akuma. He remembered how painful the attacks from that particular one were. He started to frown. “My job, that is. To help people out. Work with Ladybug. Distract akumas. I don’t really encourage civilians doing it.” He raised his eyebrows and looked at her. She blushed.

“You saw that?” She asked quietly. Oh goodness, Marinette hoped that he didn’t see her disappear in the same spot where Ladybug appeared. Chat was there? She hadn’t seen him. He must have been in the park as his regular self that day, too. 

“More like heard it”, he chuckled. He ran his fingers through his wind-swept hair and sighed. “I’d hate it for you to get hurt because I wasn’t there to do my job, though.” Adrien was being uncomfortably honest. While at this point he had started to notice parallels between his awkward classmate and Ladybug, one was still not the other, at least in his eyes. He would have said the same thing to Ladybug as well, but at least Ladybug had superpowers. Marinette was just that. Marinette. 

“Sorry. I won’t do that again.” It was a lie. They both seemed to know that. Marinette was selfless and a little bit reckless. And Marinette knew, of course, that Ladybug was totally capable of taking care of herself, with or without the suit.

“Don’t apologize! Just…be more careful. Please.” Chat Noir swung one leg over the railing. He flashed her a smile. “I should go. It was, as usual, a pleasure, Marinette.” He reached pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it before leaping off into the night. Marinette buried her face in her hands. 

“That was awkward and terrible and embarrassing and I am never talking to anyone ever again, Tikki”, she groaned. The kwami giggled as she zipped around Marinette’s head to her bedroom. She was still glad she did it, in a way. Chat deserved to know he mattered too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir gets hurt and Marinette has a realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: injury, vomiting  
> also marinette swearing

Ladybug was stressed. She had spent 15 minutes parrying with the latest akuma. Well, parrying was a generous term. Over glorified distraction. This guy could throw cars. She had a yo-yo. She dropped to the ground as another vehicle flew her way.  


The heroine stood up and flung her yo-yo into the air, shouting, “LUCKY CHARM!”  


As she caught the item, Chat Noir went flying past her. There was a sickening crack when he landed on the rooftop and a loud yelp. Ladybug quickly turned to her partner in a panic.  


“I’M FINE”, he called from the roof. One hand was lifted in the air with a thumbs up. He continued, “JUST GET THE AKUMA.”  


“Don’t worry Chat, I got this!”, she called back, voice trembling.  


Adrien didn’t expect his day to go this way. He should be used to living this chaotic kind of life by now, of course. When he landed on the rooftop, he broke his fall with his arm. Hard. He slowly sat up and started testing it. He definitely broke something. Great. There was a flash of red everywhere as the damage done by the akuma was reversed. Quickly Ladybug was at his side again, eyes wide.  


She helped Chat up, grabbing him by his good hand. He tried to roll the shoulder he landed on and hissed. Ladybug bit her lip.  


“Goddammit”, she whispered. This was the problem with her powers. It could only reverse damage done directly by magic. Gravity, so it seemed, didn’t count. She tried not to think about what would’ve happened if Chat landed on his head. “Tried” was the key verb here.  


Chat Noir looked over at his partner and pressed his lips into a thin line. Clearly the miraculous light had limits. He was lucky to have only hurt his arm.  


“I’ll be fine, Ladybug. No worries!”, he breathed, flashing her a smile.  


Ladybug opened her mouth to protest, but her miraculous started beeping. She didn’t move.  


“I can’t leave you here like this”, she said.  


Adrien was tempted to let her stay. He could just nod his head and finally find out who the girl he loved so much really was. But he didn’t. Not like this. He didn’t want Ladybug to feel obligated to reveal herself on his behalf. He sighed and pushed her away.  


“I can get home fine, LB”, Chat replied. He pulled out his staff and vaulted onto the next roof using his good arm. His landing was a little wobbly, but it seemed to be good enough for his partner, because when he looked back she had disappeared. 

It took Adrien a bit longer than usual to get home, but he made it back into his room in one piece and released his transformation. The teenager collapsed onto his bed and grabbed the nearest pillow, stuffing it into his mouth to muffle the scream he had been holding in for what seemed like hours. Tears ran down his cheeks. The suit gave him a higher pain tolerance that went away when he became Adrien again.  


“You gotta see a doctor”, Plagg said, uncharacteristically concerned. His charge didn’t respond, so he kept continued, “How are you going to explain this to your dad?”  


Adrien finally lifted his head from the pillow and gave Plagg a disparaging look.  


“I have an idea.”  


The boy quietly slipped out of his room and down the hall, making sure to avoid waking anyone up. He dashed out to the main foyer and rushed down the stairs, stopping at the last step. He gingerly laid down on the floor, grabbed his injured arm, and took a deep breath.  


Gabriel Agreste was rudely awoken by an ungodly scream coming from the other side of his mansion.

Good News: Adrien’s plan worked.  


Bad News: Gabriel Agreste does not react well to his son lying on the floor screaming at odd hours of the night.  


Good News: He had only dislocated his shoulder, which the doctor was able to reset that night.  


Bad News: It hurt like a-

“Adrien what were you doing up so late! Were you doing schoolwork? I knew sending you to school was a bad idea. What good has come from it?” Gabriel Agreste continued the one-sided conversation all the way back home. It was probably two in the morning. Maybe it was the lack of sleep that made Adrien grin ever so slightly at his father’s smothering. Maybe it was the pain itself that made him focus on the fact that his dad was so worried about his well-being. Like a normal dad should, of course. And maybe it was the painkillers messing with his head that made Adrien think that this was all worth it. Adrien definitely remembered falling asleep next to his dad in the limo.  


He woke up in his bed around ten in the morning. Adrien sat up and fixed the splint holding his shoulder in place. Plagg said that being a miraculous holder made injuries heal much faster, but Ladybug was still going to have to fight single-handedly for the next two weeks. Ha. Single-handed. He got dressed and asked Nathalie if he could go to school for his afternoon classes.  


“Your father doesn’t want you to strain yourself Adrien”, she replied.  


“But he also doesn’t want me to fall behind in my studies, does he?” Adrien leaned towards Nathalie and gave her a pleading look.  


“Don’t let the Bourgeois girl jump all over you and come home directly after classes end.”  


“Deal.”

Marinette stayed at school for lunch to catch up on her work. She was having a hard time focusing, and Adrien Agreste wasn’t even there to blame for it. Her thoughts kept drifting to yesterday with Chat Noir. Tikki kept reassuring her that things would be fine, but she would probably be fighting alone for a little bit.  


Just as she was figuring out her physics problem, her phone buzzed. Marinette looked at the text from Alya that read:  


-Adrien is back and he has a huge thing on his shoulder you got to see this-  


Marinette stared at her phone for a moment with a quizzical look on her face. What happened to Adrien? She gathered her things and rushed out of the library to the school entrance.  


She heard Chloe before she saw her. Marinette rounded the corner to see the blonde fawning over Adrien, who had a large splint on his left shoulder. He looked like he was in pain, but she couldn’t decide if that was from the injury or being around Chloe.  


“Chloe-no-Chloe, I’m fine-I just fell-yes”, Adrien struggled to get a word in edgewise. Chloe Bourgeois threw herself at him, and bumped his bad shoulder. He shoved her away and hissed. Everyone started asking Adrien what happened and if he was okay. Marinette didn’t hear any of them. All the color was draining from the world around her, and, incidentally, her face. She could only focus on *that arm* and the way Adrien reacted when it hurt. Spots started entering her vision.  


“Marinette? Girl, are you okay?” Alya asked, prodding her friend.  


“I feel sick”, Marinette blurted out as she ran to the bathroom. She collapsed over the toilet in the closest stall and heaved up her breakfast. A gentle hand was on her back rubbing circles.  


“Just let it out, it’s okay”, Alya shushed. “Do you want me to walk you home? Marinette?”  


Marinette.  


Adrien.  


Chat.  


She couldn’t reconcile it in her head, but at the same time, it made perfect sense.  


Of course.  


Oh no.  


No.  


She let Adrien Agreste get hurt how many times?  


Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir  


Marinette.  


Say something.  


“MARINETTE”, Alya finally shouted. Her friend slowly lifted her head from the toilet and let out a feeble whisper.  


“Fuck.”


	6. ...ladrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I INTENDED THIS STORY TO BE LADRIEN AND BY GOD IT'S GONNA HAPPEN FOLKS HERE ARE YOUR LIL IDIOTS

If she didn’t already have such a huge crush on Adrien, Alya might have questioned the fact that Marinette wouldn’t stop staring at the back of Adrien’s head. Or the fact that she clammed up whenever he spoke to her. Marinette might’ve been grateful for that excuse, but she was spending too much time staring at Adrien to think about that. Her mind was running at 200 km/hr. Her mind ceased to function. She was perfectly still all day. Her leg wouldn’t stop jittering. She needed to eat. She couldn’t bear to hold anything down. Marinette was even more of a mess than she thought possible. 

At the very least, Ladybug was prepared to be working on her own for a little bit. She swung from her perch to the building across the corner. Patrolling on her own gave her time to settle with the idea that Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir were the same person. For some reason the suit made it easier to process. Maybe it was another superpower

While Ladybug had dealt with akuma on her own before, she preferred not to. Her luck seemed to hold out while Adrien-Chat Noir got better. She was wondering if Hawkmoth knew her partner was injured as the wind picked up and made her tense up. How was she going to be able to talk to Chat Noir when he came back to patrolling? She crouched and rubbed her hands on her face, trying to get some feeling back in her cheeks. Maybe it was time to go home. That’s when she heard a familiar voice shout an even more familiar expletive.

 

Adrien Agreste was free. He still was under a very strict schedule. He was still subject to every beck and call from his ever so distant father. But he was free. Because, finally, he was allowed to take his arm out of that damned sling. The doctor told him to still take it easy for a while. He promised not to strain himself.

Chat Noir, however, made no promises. Adrien was ecstatic about the super-healing abilities he had been blessed with. The second he got home and locked his bedroom door behind him, he transformed and was out the window.

The cool Parisian air greeted him and filled his lungs. Chat laughed as he ran from one rooftop to another, jumping across seemingly impossible gaps. He scaled buildings and pole vaulted across avenues. Weeks of pent up energy were released as he ran on all fours and launched himself to the next rooftop. Nothing could bring him down now.

Adrien learned the hard way that using Cataclysm gives Chat Noir limited time before de-transforming. Adrien quickly found out the same thing happens when one neglects to feed their kwami before jumping out the window.

Adrien barely made it down to street level before Plagg flew out of his ring. He cupped one hand to catch him while using the other to reach into the pocket where he left some extra cheese. Or, where he usually left it. This is the reason Ladybug is in charge of planning. The teen sighed and slipped Plagg into his shirt pocket. It would be fine. He’d walk back home, then simply transform for not even a minute to get back inside.

Adrien took his time walking through the streets of Paris, seeing as he had all night to get back home and his kwami needed to rest. He wasn’t exactly in a familiar neighborhood, but there weren’t a lot of people out and it was nice to not have anyone recognize him. He was just a normal person walking home. Not modeling, not being a hero. There was a little spring in his step as he realized the freedom this whole new (albeit unplanned) experience gave him.

The wind picked up and Adrien drew into himself ever so slightly. He slowed his pace until he was still. He was sure he was going in the right direction. He may be sheltered, but he wasn’t wholly unfamiliar with the streets of his home. Goosebumps appeared on his arms and the hair on the back of his neck went up.

He wasn’t cold.

The model spun around and ducked just in time to avoid being punched in the back of the head. His attacker was quick to move, though, and pushed on the boy’s chest while kicking his legs out from underneath him. Adrien landed gracelessly on the curb. He shouted more from shock than pain.

>

“MERDE!”

“Shut up kid I just want your wallet!” The stranger grabbed Adrien by the shirt and picked him up.

“Really, just hand it over buddy.”

Money was not a problem for Adrien Agreste. Maybe the guy recognized him, maybe he didn’t. Either way it wasn’t hard to see he was well off. Adrien would’ve gladly thrown his wallet across the street to get the guy away from him. Unfortunately, cheese wasn’t the only thing Adrien forgot that night. He opened his mouth slightly and-

“Leave. Him. Alone.” This third voice was so low the two boys almost missed it. 

Adrien looked to the mugger who still had a vice grip on his clothes. The mugger was looking up. Adrien followed his gaze.

Ladybug was hanging from her yoyo about 6 centimeters above them. Her lips were curled and her words came out in a snarl.

“Let go of him. Now.” Adrien was too busy thanking whatever deity was looking out for him to notice that this guy was actually considering taking on Ladybug. He felt the grip on his shirt loosen and he slumped to the ground, landing squarely on his butt.

 

Marinette was still upside down when Adrien fell on his butt. She didn’t have a chance to ask if he was okay. There was something-no, someone-yanking on her pigtails. Hard.

She screeched as she was pulled from her line and thrown unceremoniously into the middle of the street. She caught herself in a backwards somersault and leapt into a fighting stance. She felt a growl rise from the back of her throat. She didn’t dare glance over at her partner, instead choosing to maintain eye-contact with the man who didn’t know how to pick a fight.

“You know, Lady, I’m sure there are people that would love it if you were to…buzz off”, the man taunted, turning fully to her, “I’m sure someone would pay a large sum to have their pest problem taken care of.”

Adrien slowly got up and narrowed his eyes at the man. First of all, nobody threatens his lady. Even if he isn’t Chat Noir right now. Second, those puns were paw-sitively clawful. Ladybug smirked. Adrien could have sworn he even heard her laugh a little.

“You really think, of all the villians I fight, you’re going to take me down?” Ladybug was laughing. She was actually laughing. Right until the man lunged at her. Her eyes blew wide as she rolled to the left and turned to her opponent. He turned to punch her and she narrowly dodged his right hook. It was the second punch she didn’t see coming. There was a definite crack and she hit the ground. The man started screaming.

“You don’t even know how to punch”, she teased, grinning through the pain. He really did hit her hard. She tenderly rubbed her cheekbone as she slowly got up. Anyone with any actual experience would know how to hit without breaking their own wrist. Causing a ruckus would only bring police, and the man wisened up and started running down the winding streets of the city. The superhero slowly walked back and reached for her yoyo, still dangling from the building. She yanked it down and turned to Adrien.

“Are you- “, they both started at the same time. Marinette could feel her cheeks burning. Was it the cold, the bruise forming, or Adrien? She still had her hand over where she was punched.

“Are you okay, Ladybug?” Adrien asked softly. He raised a hand and lightly wrapped it around Ladybug’s, moving it from her face. She didn’t stop him. Marinette felt the tips of Adrien’s fingers gingerly trace the nasty bruise that was forming on her face. Hopefully the mask would keep the swelling down. Magic suit, and all.

It was only when Adrien moved his hand and traced his lady’s jawline did he notice how close they had gotten. The light of the streetlamp flickered. The duo looked up.

Ladybug whispered, “It’s getting late. Let’s get you home.” She was shaking. If anyone asked, it was the chill of the night. If anyone knew the truth, it was spending so long in such a close proximity with Adrien. Chat. Oh goodness. She furrowed her brow and shook her head. Not now. She gripped her yoyo with one hand and wrapped her other arm around Adrien’s waist. The only sound was his choked gasp of surprise as she pulled them up the the rooftops of Paris, focused on only getting him home and Definitely Not how tightly his arms were wrapped around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please please please leave comments! anything! good! bad! i need the commentary!
> 
> or if you want to send me a message my tumblr is
> 
> www.potatoish.tumblr.com


	7. fuck it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAVE FUN YOU LIL SHITS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is a long one idgaf

It was nearly 2 am when Ladybug slipped into the Agreste mansion with Adrien in tow. He confidently jumped onto his bedroom floor while the heroine quietly perched herself on the edge of his open window. Adrien’s head was swirling with emotions, leaving him with a stupid mixture of excitement and concern on his face. Being blessed with devastatingly good looks, he pulled it off.

Ladybug let out a quiet sigh, almost imperceptible. Her face was throbbing. Adrien turned to her and furrowed his brow. Marinette studied his expression in the dim moonlight. Sometimes she wished she could have Chat Noir’s night vision. She bit the inside of her cheek when she quickly remembered she was standing in Chat Noir’s window.

Adrien stepped towards Ladybug and cupped her face in his hand. Before she could react, he stood on his toes and gently kissed her cheek. Her breath hitched. Both teens hoped the other didn’t notice their blushing face.

“G-Goodnight Ad-drien”, she whispered.

“Au revoir, coccinelle”, the model replied. He removed his hand from her face and stepped back from the window.

Ladybug tugged on her yoyo and let out a small yelp as she was jerked away, not wanting to stop staring at those beautiful green eyes. She looked like a ragdoll on a string flying back up to the roof of the mansion. Another flick of her wrist and she was on her way home, giggling like a school girl. Which, granted, she was. 

 

Marinette was known to be a clumsy girl, so nobody questioned the occasional bruise or cut she came to school with. Especially since she lived in a bakery, where there were bound to be accidents. A black eye, however, was something people would question at least a little. Chloe would definitely find a way to make a spectacle of it. Her parents would be filled with worry.

The girl got a good 4 hours of sleep before she got up and made Tikki help her apply a generous amount of makeup around the mark the mugger left last night. She sighed as she remembered that Adrien Agreste kissed her there. Chat Noir. Marinette groaned, slumping over her vanity.

Satisfied with her handiwork, she slipped her backpack over her shoulders and headed to school. Both her parents were already working, so there was no attention paid to her face at all. She gave them both a quick peck on the cheek and slipped out the front door to the bakery. For once she was going to be early for class.

The other students filed in sporadically, all taking note of Marinette’s punctuality. That was the only thing out of the ordinary anyone noticed. Even Alya didn’t suspect anything had happened. Or, if she did, she didn’t mention it. Marinette was in the clear, for all it seemed.

 

Adrien Agreste stepped out of his limo and drifted into school with a grin on his face. He was on cloud nine. His lack of sleep couldn’t bring him down. Nor could the fact that Chloe was throwing herself onto him with renewed vigor (now that his splint was gone). Heck, he could have to fight 3 akumas today and it would still be the best day ever. Nino tried to figure out what was making the model so giddy, but he wasn’t nearly as good at interrogation as Alya was. It was a mystery.

They walked into class and greeted the girls that sat behind them. Nino made a joke about Marinette being on time for once before immediately turning his attention to Alya, striking up a conversation about some concert happening that weekend. Adrien looked like an idiot with that stupid grin plastered on his face. Alya kept shifting her glance between him and Marinette, but eventually forgot about it and fully engaged herself with the boy talking to her. Marinette blushed and suspected she knew why Adrien was smiling like that.

Adrien beamed as he sat down and turned to his two friends talking beside him. He stole a glance at Marinette, who was wholly invested in the argument Alya and Nino were now having a row about the best kind of audiovisual equipment to use for live action reporting. Adrien drifted back to Nino, then took a double take at Marinette.

Between years of seeing all kinds of makeup techniques in the modeling business and more recent experience covering up some of Chat Noir’s worse injuries, Adrien had a keen eye for when someone was hiding something. That was why he was the only one to notice how much heavier the foundation on the right side of Marinette’s face seemed to be. He quickly looked at Nino and Alya, then back to Marinette. There was definitely a faint purple underneath her eye. Adrien opened his mouth to say something, but the final bell rang and it was time to start the school day.

For the rest of the day Adrien tried to get a chance to speak to Marinette, but to no avail. He would’ve preferred to privately ask her about it, but as the end of the day drew near just talking to her at all would satiate him. He had no such luck.

Maybe he was making a mountain over a molehill. While his friend definitely was hiding a black eye, that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Maybe she hurt herself in the bakery and was simply embarrassed. It seemed logical knowing how vitriolic Chloe could be in class. Adrien was probably over-analyzing.

Probably.

 

Marinette thankfully made it through the day without any incidents. She was exhausted. Just one delivery of cupcakes a couple blocks away and she could go home and pass out for the next 10 hours-at least. It was dusk and the temperature was dropping rapidly. The girl handed off the pastries and turned back home, wondering if she could just transform into Ladybug to get there quicker. Just as she was about to slip into the alley, she heard it.

Thud.

She whipped her head around to come face to face with Chat Noir. Her mouth, which was in an “o” shape, quickly clamped shut and she pressed her lips into a thin line. Marinette folded her arms across her chest. Now what?

“Good evening purr-incess”, the boy cooed.

“Chat”, Marinette responded. It was clipped. She rolled her eyes and began walking home. She didn’t have to pay any attention to Chat Noir to know he was right behind her with every step. If her attitude had any affect on him, she couldn’t sense it, because he continued with his ridiculous act. It was actually hard for her to keep a straight face knowing it was Adrien Agreste acting like this. In a leather cat suit. Marinette stared straight ahead as a flush creeped up her neck.

“Are you feline alright, Marinette?” His tone was supposed to be light-hearted, but the girl was thrown off at her partner’s inability to hide his genuine concern. She stopped and cocked her head at him. Blue eyes met green in an intense stare. It was only then Marinette had considered how much Adrien had grown in the past year. She was straining her neck just to meet his gaze. It didn’t help that they were far closer than two people who hardly knew each other should be.

“Chat?” The two were standing under a streetlamp. Her partner leaned back so that he wasn’t casting a shadow over her face and raised a gloved hand to wipe away what little concealer was left over Marinette’s black eye. She winced.

“Marinette.”

“It’s not as bad as it looks.” She realized Adrien must have noticed something was up during the day. She screwed her face up and narrowed her eyes. Why was it any of his business? Chat kept staring at her with an intensity usually reserved for Ladybug. Had he figured it out?

“This doesn’t look like your usual work, princess”, he chuckled as he gently turned Marinette’s head to the side, getting a better look at it. He softly rubbed his thumb across her cheek. The girl looked to the ground and sharply inhaled. She put both hands on his shoulders and firmly pushed him away.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to ask about things like that?”

“Well somebody has to.”

“Not really!” Marinette’s voice was escalating. She just felt uneasy in general. Chat grabbed her wrist. She could easily slip away, but she stopped. Chat Noir had a pleading look in his eye. Marinette kept staring at the ground. She only looked up when she heard a sigh of defeat come from her partner.

Chat started, “You know, you can always tell me if…”

“It’s me minou!” Thank goodness Adrien Agreste was pretty.

“LADYBUG?”

“Yes, Adrien! Oh my God I thought I was stupid but you had all day to connect the dots and- “

Marinette didn’t get to finish her thought. Chat Noir had grabbed her and slammed his staff into the sidewalk, shooting them up to the nearest rooftop.

“IT’S YOU oh thank you I was so WORRIED but it’s YOU and this is the best thing ever and YOU’RE OKAY Marinette it’s YOU!” Chat was going in circles, swinging his partner around the roof. The boy was hysterical. Marinette couldn’t help the smile that started spreading across her face. Adrien’s excitement was contagious.

“Yes!!! It me!!!”, she broke into giggles and doubled over. She went to sit, but was scooped up again and spun in a circle. Her hands ended up on Chat’s shoulders and both his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. Their noses were barely millimeters apart.

The giggling died down. Neither of them moved. Chat Noir was breathless. He found his lady, there was no way he was letting go now.

“Uh…Chat?”

“What?”

“I kind of need to go home.”

“Are you sure? Like, is that really entirely necessary?”

Marinette started giggling again. She ran her fingers through his golden hair and pressed her forehead to his.

“Yeah.”

“Whatever you say, princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUESS WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO KISS  
> WELL TOO BAD I JUST DECIDED THIS ONE'S GONNA BE A SLOW BURN  
> WE'RE GONNA HAVE MARINETTE AND ADRIEN BE FRIENDS BECAUSE IM AN ASSHOLE THAT'S WHY


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

If Marinette thought her partner finding out her identity would make him back off, she could not be more wrong. Ladybug was now a real, tangible girl. One that adored Adrien Agreste. This meant twice as much flirting. Marinette’s only saving grace was that they both agreed to maintain the same level of contact in civilian form as they had before, in order to avoid suspicion. Especially since her best friend ran the Ladyblog. She still stuttered around Adrien anyways, but for completely different reasons now.

Adrien thought this was perfect. He liked Marinette. She liked him. He couldn’t see what was wrong with finally making something happen. It was clear that it pained her to keep rebuffing him. It had been weeks since they finally figured it out, but Marinette’s position on the situation remained firm.

 

“But you _definitely_ like me, bugaboo”, he teased. Ladybug rolled her eyes and punched her partner lightly on the shoulder.

“You are _definitely_ giving me reason _not_ to”, she shot back. Chat Noir leaned back and dramatically gasped, whining about the cruelties he was being subjected to. Ladybug tried to imagine Adrien acting like this out of costume. She laughed so hard she nearly fell off the building they were sitting on.

“I’m serious, coccinelle!”

“It’s a terrible idea no matter how we try it, _minou_.” Ladybug turned to face Chat. “One, by all appearances, we don’t actually know each other too well. Marinette can barely talk to Adrien at school”, Ladybug pointed out, a blush rising to her cheeks. “Second, any girl that gets _near_ you faces the wrath of Chloe Bourgeois. Third, how many fans would be devastated at teen heartthrob model Adrien Agreste not being single anymore? That’s an akuma that would automatically try to target either you or myself. Fourth- “

“What about Ladybug and Chat Noir?”, he interrupted, “I mean, half of Paris already thinks that’s a thing as is.”

“Which is your fault. Also made the whole _Copycat_ escapade happen.”

“Spending my life trying to avoid upsetting people is not the way I want to live, Ladybug.”

She got caught in Chat Noir’s steely gaze. Ladybug swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue and let the silence hang in the air. She furrowed her brow, then sat up straight and spoke again.

“What’s wrong with just being my friend?” Her tone was sharp. It wasn’t one Chat hadn’t heard before, but he knew it was usually reserved for a different wealthy blonde.

He turned away and frowned. He opened his mouth. He shut it. He chewed his lip and bit his tongue. Was he mad because of the audacity of the accusation, or because he hadn’t considered any other options? He cocked his head and turned back to Ladybug.

“Do you _want_ to just be my friend?”, he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Okay”, Chat said, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

“Oh no.”

“Did you think Chat Noir’s puns were bad?”

“OH HELL NO.”

Chat cackled wildly as Ladybug jumped up and swung away just in time to avoid her partner see her crack a wide grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the hiatus   
> here's some non-plot fluff to hold over until i can sit down with this again


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The class discusses the nature of Marinette and Adrien's non-relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does the author simply want to explore the other character dynamics or is she a piece of shit that is procrastinating a larger plot arc? You decide.

            Trying to fake a casual friendship with one's closest confidant seemed to be the acting challenge of the millennium. Adrien kept his eyes glued to the board in front of him, but he didn’t see any words. His back was straight and his feet were on the floor, but his listening ears were nowhere to be found. The teacher’s lesson washed over him like white noise. Adrien’s body was being the perfect model of a model student, but his mind had been left to wander before he even walked into the classroom.

            He snapped back to attention when the power went out. Everyone in the classroom was dead quiet. Then the sky became dark as well. Students blindly clamored over each other to get to the windows and try to see what was going on. The only light came from Nino’s cellphone.  

            “Nino, turn that off! You’re ruining my shot!”

            “Alya, you think you can film in absolute darkness with an _A_ _ndroid_?”

            Nino waved the beam of light around the room, subconsciously taking a head count. Alya had climbed on top of Ivan’s shoulders to get a better shot of the sky, still completely devoid of light.

            “Everyone, please stay calm, and get back to your seats”, Mme. Bustier sighed. She slowly moved from behind her desk, feeling her way to the door.

            “This is a state of emergency!” Chloe cried, “We should all be let out early!” The students all turned to the general direction of Mme. Bustier and started speaking out in agreement.

            “NOBODY-no one-is moving. I am going to see what is going on. I will be gone for five minutes. I expect _everyone_ to be in their seats when I get back”, the teacher responded.

            “Isn’t it against protocol for a teacher to leave the stud-OW!” Sabrina was abruptly cut off by Chloe’s very sharp elbow meeting her ribs. Everyone quietly stood still for a moment, then broke out into a buzzed murmur when they were sure their instructor was gone. Alya slipped behind Nino and grabbed his arm.

            “Nino, cover for me”, she whispered.

            “Mme. Bustier said to stay here”, he replied.

            “Okay, so stay here. And cover for me.”

            “I can’t cover for two dudes at once, babe.”

            “Wait, what?”

            Nino had turned his phone’s light off to save battery, but turned it back on and did another sweep of the classroom. He nodded, and turned it off again.

            “I always cover for Adrien when he’s missing. You know how it is-” Nino started, when Alya shut off her phone and grabbed his shirt collar.

            “Wait.”

            “What?”

            “Where’s Marinette?!” Alya’s low whisper had escalated into a regular talking voice as she realized her best friend was missing. The class stopped.

            Kim started laughing.

            “It’s not funny Kim!” Alya started to shout. “We have no idea what’s going on and Marinette and Adrien are missing!”

            Kim doubled over laughing. In spite of it being pitch black and nobody being able to see much at all, Alix managed to punch him square in the shoulder.

            “Ow! Alix, stop that! They clearly just went somewhere to make out!” Kim said, wiping a tear from his eye. From the laughter, of course. Alix didn’t hit him that hard. Obviously.

            “NOT _MY_ ADRIKINS WHO DO YOU _THINK_ YOU ARE-” Chloe began shrieking.

            “MARINETTE WOULD NOT LEAVE US IN A _TIME_ OF _CRISIS_ TO-” Alya shouted.

            “I don’t think Adrien’s ever even kissed a girl-” Nino said, mostly to himself.

            Nathaniel picked his head up from where it had been on the desk the entire time and decided to join the fray.

            “Maybe they’re Ladybug and Chat Noir”, he said, half-jokingly. Everyone turned to where they assumed Nathaniel was.

             “Hold up, what did you just say?” Alix chuckled.

            “Maybe…Marinette and Adrien…are Ladybug and Chat Noir.” Nathaniel repeated, sounding out each syllable.

The class burst into laughter. Alya and Nino furrowed their brows.

            “Marinette Dupain-Cheng”, Chloe said with a sneer, “ _the_ Ladybug? The Ladybug that is my best friend? Not in a million years! And Adrien is _far_ more handsome than that Chat Noir!”

            “Not that I’d ever like to agree with Chloe”, Alya said, biting her lip, “but I’m pretty sure if _Marinette_ of all people is Ladybug, I’d figure it out by now.” Nino nodded in agreement, forgetting that nobody could see the supportive gesture. “But…” she continued, “I think it’s possible Adrien could be Chat Noir!” The rest of the students started to argue with each other about the possibilities.

            “Alya”, Nino interjected, “Adrien is too obedient to be Chat Noir! That would involve going against the schedule his father has for him, and that dude is _so strict_. Adrien would have to sneak out of his fortress of a house, fight akumas, and sneak back in without being noticed!”

            “Nino, didn’t you just say you always cover for Adrien when he’s missing?” Alya asked. Nino, paused, then asked Alya a different question in return.

            “If Marinette is definitely not Ladybug, and she isn’t with Adrien, where is she right now?”

            “Wait!” Mylene shouted to the dark room, “Nathaniel, what makes you think that anyways?”

            “Well”, he started, noting that this was the most attention he had from everyone in a while. It was making him nervous, but he continued, “whenever there’s an akuma attack, they’re either already gone or have some unusual reasons to disappear. I don’t know about Adrien, but we all know Marinette is pretty much always ready to fight, so it can’t be because she’s scared.” He said pointedly. He couldn’t see a thing, but the silence that hung in the air implied he had everyone’s undivided attention. “Additionally, they’re never in the same room as Ladybug and Chat Noir respectively, are they?”

            “That’s not true!” Alya objected, “When they showed up at Alix and Kim’s race, Marinette was standing right next to me!”

            “And Adrien was with me!” Nino added.

            “Oh”, Nathaniel said.

            “Which means I’m right”, Kim boasted, “they snuck off to suck face!”

            An uproar filled the room. Chloe was lecturing Kim on the very close and personal relationship she maintained with Adrien that Marinette could never ruin. Rose and Mylene were counting the times they saw Marinette and Ladybug in the same place at the same time. Alya and Nino were fighting about who is supposed to keep track of which friend and where they could possibly be. Ivan and Max were debating what to call the new power couple of the class. Suddenly a wave of light crossed through the room, followed by the lights coming back on and the sun shining again. Everyone groaned as their eyes adjusted to daylight.

            “I can’t believe I spent an entire akuma attack in here instead of vlogging”, Alya sighed. Nino gave her a shrug. Marinette and Adrien quietly slipped into the room, seemingly unaffected from the sudden change from absolute darkness to mid-day light. Mme. Bustier came back right after, seemingly frazzled.

            Marinette and Adrien shared a fleeting glance of worry. They both thought the other had the civilian situation handled. Mme. Bustier ended up slightly electrocuted, but no worse for wear. They didn’t think anyone noticed the look they shared as they sat at their desks.

            Everyone did.

            “SO, Marinette”, Kim began, leaning on his desk. Mostly for dramatic effect, but also because he still couldn’t see properly. “Where have YOU been?”

            “SHUT _UP,_ KIM”, Alya and Chloe both yelled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please give comments!!! i read all of them and appreciate any constructive criticism!


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